intro
The McDonald's Corporation has pioneered a global, highly standardised and fast
production-line system, geared to maximum turnover of products and
profits. McDonald's now employ more than a million mostly young people
around the world: some say a million people who might otherwise be out
of work, others however consider that they are in fact a net destroyer
of jobs by using low wages and the huge size of their business to
undercut local food outlets and thereby force them out of business. Is
McDonald's a great job opportunity or are they taking advantage of
high unemployment to exploit the most vulnerable people in society,
working them very hard for very little money? Complaints from
employees range from discrimination and lack of rights, to
understaffing, few breaks and illegal hours, to poor safety conditions
and kitchens flooded with sewage, and the sale of food that has been
dropped on the floor. This type of low-paid work has even been termed
'McJobs'.

Trade Unionists don't like McDonald's either. The company is notorious
for the vehemence with which they try to crush any unionisation
attempt. They argue that all their workers are happy and that any
problems can be worked out directly without the need for interference
from a third party, but are they in fact just desperate to prevent any
efforts by the workers to improve wages and conditions?